Saturday, August 31, 2019

M45: The Pleiades Star Cluster

Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you have, you probably have never seen it as dusty as this. Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. The featured exposure took over 12 hours and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named, leaving only six stars visible to the unaided eye. The actual number of Pleiades stars visible, however, may be more or less than seven, depending on the darkness of the surrounding sky and the clarity of the observer’s eyesight. via NASA https://ift.tt/2MOW7ia


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Northern Bahamas Hunkers Down as Hurricane Dorian Closes In by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

A dangerous Hurricane Dorian closed in on the northern Bahamas early Sunday, threatening to batter islands with 150 mph (240 kph) winds, pounding waves and torrential rain as people hunkered down in schools, churches and other shelters.

Published: September 1, 2019 at 12:03AM

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Trump to Miners, Loggers and Drillers: This Land Is Your Land by The Editorial Board


By The Editorial Board

From Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, the Trump administration wants to despoil, not preserve, America’s resources.

Published: August 31, 2019 at 02:30PM

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Evacuations Begin in Bahamas as Category 4 Dorian Bears Down by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Hurricane Dorian shut down most major resorts in the Bahamas and forced authorities to evacuate much of the northern shore and low-lying islands Saturday as the fierce Category 4 storm prepared to unleash torrents of rain but was projected to spin…

Published: August 31, 2019 at 12:06AM

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Hurricanes Hard at Work on Labor Day Weekends in Florida by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

The traditional end of summer, Labor Day is also frequently a time for hurricanes in the U.S., especially Florida. More than two dozen have struck over the holiday weekend since 1851, with Hurricane Dorian now looming as the latest.

Published: August 31, 2019 at 08:51AM

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South Korean Lawmakers Visit Disputed Islets Claimed by Japan by Choe Sang-Hun


By Choe Sang-Hun

Visits to the islands, which South Korea controls, tend to spike when relations with Japan are at a low, as they are now.

Published: August 31, 2019 at 05:39AM

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A Rare Greenshank Is Spotted in Russia by Karen Weintraub


By Karen Weintraub

It is the first time in more than four decades that researchers have had an opportunity to study the endangered shorebirds.

Published: August 31, 2019 at 05:00AM

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A Rare Greenshank Is Spotted in Russia by Karen Weintraub


By Karen Weintraub

It is the first time in more than four decades that researchers have had an opportunity to study the endangered shorebirds.

Published: August 31, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Friday, August 30, 2019

Boy Who Died After Football Practice Had Heart Condition by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Officials say a western Michigan boy who died after collapsing during football practice had a heart condition.

Published: August 30, 2019 at 01:30PM

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Taiwan Demands China Disclose Whereabouts of Missing Citizen by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Taiwan officials demanded Friday that China disclose information about the disappearance of a Taiwanese man who had reportedly distributed photos of Chinese troops massing equipment just outside protest-racked Hong Kong.

Published: August 30, 2019 at 05:33AM

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France to Begin One-Month No Deal Brexit Dress Rehearsal-Minister by Reuters


By Reuters

France will test run measures it has prepared for Britain’s exit from Europe for a month so that companies are fully-prepared ahead of Britain leaving the bloc at the end of October, its minister in charge of customs said on Friday.

Published: August 30, 2019 at 05:27AM

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Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in ‘Very Poor’ Condition-Agency by Reuters


By Reuters

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in very poor condition because of climate change, over fishing and land clearing, a state agency said on Friday, as it downgraded the reef’s status to the lowest level, which could jeopardise its World Heritage st…

Published: August 30, 2019 at 03:00AM

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Australia Lowers Great Barrier Reef Outlook to ‘Very Poor’ by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

The government agency that manages Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has downgraded its outlook for the corals’ condition from “poor” to “very poor” due to warming oceans.

Published: August 30, 2019 at 01:54AM

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Hong Kong Protesters Seize on a Historic Turning Point With China by Keith Bradsher


By Keith Bradsher

Beijing’s 2014 offer to allow general elections if it chose the candidates ignited the Umbrella Movement. Protesters were hoping to mark the anniversary on Saturday.

Published: August 30, 2019 at 01:23AM

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NGC 7129 and NGC 7142

This wide-field telescopic image looks toward the constellation Cepheus and an intriguing visual pairing of dusty reflection nebula NGC 7129 (right) and open star cluster NGC 7142. The two appear separated by only half a degree on the sky, but they actually lie at quite different distances. In the foreground, dusty nebula NGC 7129 is about 3,000 light-years distant, while open cluster NGC 7142 is likely over 6,000 light-years away. In fact, pervasive and clumpy foreground dust clouds in this region redden the light from NGC 7142, complicating astronomical explorations of the cluster. Still, NGC 7142 is thought to be an older open star cluster, while the bright stars embedded in NGC 7129 are perhaps a few million years young. The telltale reddish crescent shapes around NGC 7129 are associated with energetic jets streaming away from newborn stars. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Lg4xfx


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The Climate Activist and the Sea by Andrew C. Revkin


By Andrew C. Revkin

A trans-Atlantic crossing by boat offers lessons on confronting the global warming crisis.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 04:36PM

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The Transformative, Talismanic Power of Feathers by Ligaya Mishan


By Ligaya Mishan

A symbol of both flight and fancy, plumes have been the object of obsession — and adornment — for centuries.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 09:00AM

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India’s Top Ports on Alert for Attacks From ‘Pakistan-Trained Commandos’ by Reuters


By Reuters

India’s two main ports said on Thursday they had been warned by the coastguard and intelligence officials that Pakistan-trained commandos have entered Indian waters to carry out underwater attacks on port facilities.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 07:46AM

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Georgia Kayaker Chased by 360-Pound Gator: ‘I Just Paddled’ by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

A Georgia kayaker says he could only think of paddling faster after realizing he wasn’t alone in a pond.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 06:06AM

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The Remarkable Life of the First Woman on the Harvard Faculty by Karenna Gore


By Karenna Gore

Alice Hamilton, an expert on public health, foresaw the rise of fascism in Germany.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 06:00AM

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France’s Chicest Hotel Family Has Come to Languedoc. Is That a Good Thing? by Alexander Lobrano


By Alexander Lobrano

The Costes have opened an outpost on the region’s decidedly unglamorous coastline. But outside the confines of their high-design resort, a low-key charm beckons.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Papua New Guinea May Close Chinese-Owned Nickel Plant After Spill-Regulator by Reuters


By Reuters

A nickel processing plant owned by Metallurgical Corp of China (MCC) that spilled mine waste into Papua New Guinea’s Basamuk Bay faces compensation claims and possibly closure, the head of the country’s mining authority said on Thursday.

Published: August 29, 2019 at 01:45AM

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Duterte in China Amid Expectation He’ll Raise Sea Disputes by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was in Beijing on Thursday for a meeting with counterpart Xi Jinping in which the Southeast Asian leader is expected to discuss a ruling on the disputed South China Sea.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 11:00PM

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M27: Not a Comet

While hunting for comets in the skies above 18th century France, astronomer Charles Messier diligently kept a list of the things he encountered that were definitely not comets. This is number 27 on his now famous not-a-comet list. In fact, 21st century astronomers would identify it as a planetary nebula, but it’s not a planet either, even though it may appear round and planet-like in a small telescope. Messier 27 (M27) is an excellent example of a gaseous emission nebula created as a sun-like star runs out of nuclear fuel in its core. The nebula forms as the star’s outer layers are expelled into space, with a visible glow generated by atoms excited by the dying star’s intense but invisible ultraviolet light. Known by the popular name of the Dumbbell Nebula, the beautifully symmetric interstellar gas cloud is over 2.5 light-years across and about 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula. This impressive color composite highlights details within the well-studied central region and fainter, seldom imaged features in the nebula’s outer halo. It incorporates broad and narrowband images recorded using filters sensitive to emission from hydrogen and oxygen atoms. via NASA https://ift.tt/2ZyLJNA


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Straining Through the Tear Gas by Nicholas Kristof


By Nicholas Kristof

In Hong Kong, flinching at echoes of China’s ill-fated Tiananmen democracy movement of 1989.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 07:21PM

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As Maritime Rows Resurface, Duterte Readies to Raise Ruling With China by Reuters


By Reuters

When Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte visits China this week, he’ll need to salvage something from a “pivot” to Beijing that has left him empty-handed, and exposed his neighbours to a new level of brinkmanship in the South China Sea.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 08:03AM

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The Latest: Italian Rescue Ship Picks Up About 100 Migrants by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

The Latest on migration into Europe (all times local):

Published: August 28, 2019 at 07:51AM

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Nearly 50 Migrants Rescued in 2 Days in Busy English Channel by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

French maritime authorities say 47 migrants, including two dozen children, have been rescued over two days as they tried to cross the English Channel to Britain.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 05:30AM

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A Portugal of Pristine Beaches, Tiny Villages and Little Else by Eric Lipton


By Eric Lipton

The country’s Alentejo region has the last unspoiled stretch of Atlantic coast in all of southern Europe, with 40 miles of nearly untouched beaches.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Rugby: Risk for Hansen at Flyhalf, but Net Goes No Wider Ahead of World Cup by Reuters


By Reuters

Steve Hansen doubled down on his ‘high risk, high reward’ selection strategy for the World Cup on Wednesday, with New Zealanders left hoping that with just two specialist flyhalves in the squad he will not be forced to scour the banks of the Waika…

Published: August 28, 2019 at 02:06AM

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China Drafts Law to Combat Illegal Fishing, Safeguard Stocks by Reuters


By Reuters

China has invited public responses to a draft law to prevent illegal fishing and depletion of coastal fish stocks, as current legislation is inadequate for sustainable development of the industry, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

Published: August 28, 2019 at 01:45AM

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Philippine Ferry Fire Kills 3; More Than 100 Rescued by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

At least three people were killed and more than 100 others were rescued after a fire engulfed a ferry in the southern Philippines overnight, the coast guard said Wednesday.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 10:21PM

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In Spotlight After Trump Offer, Greenland Sees Chance for an Economic Win by Reuters


By Reuters

Greenland’s leaders want to use global interest in the Arctic island aroused by President Donald Trump’s eye-catching offer of a sale to stimulate investment and earn more from U.S. military activity there.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 07:57AM

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An Island Without Fish? Cuba Aims to Tackle Problem With Law Overhaul by Reuters


By Reuters

In the sleepy Cuban fishing village of Cojimar that inspired Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” locals say they are struggling to catch fish.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 07:03AM

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Drifting Through Puglia, Italy’s Heel by Sebastian Modak


By Sebastian Modak

Arriving exhausted, the 52 Places Traveler found Puglia the perfect place to go with the flow.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 05:33AM

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Upriver From a Senator’s Lake House, an Oklahoma Town Fights for Survival by Sarah Mervosh


By Sarah Mervosh

For years, there has been fierce debate over water levels at a popular lake. Senator James Inhofe, who has a vacation home there, took the matter to Washington.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Humans Are Impetuous and Shortsighted. Can We Change? by Robert H. Frank


By Robert H. Frank

Bina Venkataraman thinks so — and her new book, “The Optimist’s Telescope,” brims with ways we can make better decisions for our futures.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Monday, August 26, 2019

Indonesia Confronts, Belatedly, a Huge Oil Spill Near Jakarta by Muktita Suhartono


By Muktita Suhartono

The true size of the July spill, which has left an inky stain across 12 miles of shoreline and upended livelihoods in a dozen villages, is still unknown.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 02:19AM

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Mexico’s Playa Bagdad Mixes Sun, Sand and Drug Trafficking by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

At the very eastern end of the U.S.-Mexico border there’s a long strip of sand where the Rio Grande meets the sea. It is called Playa Bagdad — or ‘Bagdad Beach.’

Published: August 27, 2019 at 12:30AM

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Spanish Man Paddles His Way From California to Hawaii by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Antonio de la Rosa doesn’t take it easy on his vacations. The Spaniard spent his summer paddling his way from California across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii.

Published: August 27, 2019 at 12:18AM

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Spanish Man Paddles His Way From California to Hawaii by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Antonio de la Rosa doesn’t take it easy on his vacations. The Spaniard spent his summer paddling his way from California across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii.

Published: August 26, 2019 at 05:54PM

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On California’s Lost Coast: Sea Lions, Surf and Squiggly Roads by Elaine Glusac


By Elaine Glusac

Just 225 miles north of San Francisco, on a remote and rugged shoreline, crowds are sparse and cell phones are useless (and you won’t care).

Published: August 26, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Sunday, August 25, 2019

Polluting Farmers Should Pay by Catherine Kling


By Catherine Kling

Fertilizer runoff is making us sick. States can step in to regulate farmers.

Published: August 25, 2019 at 07:00PM

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Italy’s 5-Star, PD Struggling to Find Deal on New Government Ahead of Deadline by Reuters


By Reuters

Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star party and the main centre-left opposition PD are struggling to break a logjam over who could lead a new government as a deadline to avoid early elections draws near.

Published: August 25, 2019 at 11:54AM

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Countries Agree to Protect Endangered Sharks and Rays by The Associated Press


By The Associated Press

Countries have agreed to protect more than a dozen shark species at risk of extinction, in a move aimed at conserving some of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring creatures who have themselves become prey to commercial fishing and the Chinese appetite f…

Published: August 25, 2019 at 06:54AM

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Iceland’s Purple Planes Are Grounded, and With Them, Its Economy by Peter S. Goodman and Liz Alderman


By Peter S. Goodman and Liz Alderman

The collapse of WOW Air, the discount airline, has damaged the country’s tourism industry, which had lifted it from the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis.

Published: August 25, 2019 at 05:00AM

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Saturday, August 24, 2019

Leaving Earth

What it would look like to leave planet Earth? Such an event was recorded visually in great detail by the MESSENGER spacecraft as it swung back past the Earth, eight years ago, on its way in toward the planet Mercury. Earth can be seen rotating in this time-lapse video, as it recedes into the distance. The sunlit half of Earth is so bright that background stars are not visible. The robotic MESSENGER spacecraft is now in orbit around Mercury and has recently concluded the first complete map of the surface. On occasion, MESSENGER has continued to peer back at its home world. MESSENGER is one of the few things created on the Earth that has left and will never return — at the end of its mission MESSENGER will be crashed into Mercury’s surface. via NASA https://ift.tt/33ZESjs


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South Korea Launches Military Exercise for Islets Also Claimed by Japan by Choe Sang-Hun


By Choe Sang-Hun

The exercises are meant to protect South Korea’s claim to a set of islets also claimed by Japan, as ties between the two countries are at their worst in years.

Published: August 25, 2019 at 12:05AM

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Brazil Military Mobilizes to Fight Amazon Fires, and Restore ‘Positive Perception’ by Ernesto Londoño


By Ernesto Londoño

The fires had burned for weeks but plunged President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration into crisis mode only now, after photographs began circulating widely.

Published: August 24, 2019 at 01:19PM

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Summer on the Swollen Great Lakes by Mitch Smith and Lyndon French


By Mitch Smith and Lyndon French

The lakes rose this year to levels not seen in decades. A 1,234-mile drive around one of them revealed what all that water has left behind — vanishing beaches, closed roads, new islands.

Published: August 24, 2019 at 10:10AM

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